News

How to restore a coral reef

New guidelines drafted by a consortium of concerned experts could enable corals to adapt to changing environments and help restore declining coral populations in the Caribbean.

Plants defend against insects by inducing 'leaky gut syndrome'

Plants may induce "leaky gut syndrome" — permeability of the gut lining — in insects as part of a multipronged strategy for protecting themselves from being eaten, according to researchers at Penn State.

Parasitic plants use stolen genes to make them better parasites

Some parasitic plants steal genetic material from their host plants and use the stolen genes to more effectively siphon off the host’s nutrients. A new study led by researchers at Penn State and Virginia Tech reveals that the parasitic plant dodder has stolen a large amount of genetic material from its hosts, including over 100 functional genes.

Erha Andini

Center of Excellence in Industrial Biotechnology Awards Scholarship to Penn State Senior

The gift, funded by industrial partner CSL Behring, will enable the Chemical Engineering major to continue her exploration of membrane separation.

English professor participates in Northwest Passage Project expedition

Hester Blum, Penn State associate professor of English and a 2019 Guggenheim Fellow, will be tracking climate change in the Arctic Ocean as part of the Northwest Passage Project (NPP) research expedition.

New tuberculosis tests pave way for cow vaccination programs

Skin tests that can distinguish between cattle that are infected with tuberculosis (TB) and those that have been vaccinated against the disease have been created by an international team of scientists.

Graduate students Mara Cloutier, left, and Sarah Isbell, received AFRI Education and Workforce Development fellowships from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture. IMAGE: PENN STATE

Microbiome Center graduate students awarded NIFA fellowships

Sarah Isbell and Mara Cloutier, both Penn State graduate students and Microbiome Center researchers, will be supported in their studies by fellowships paid for by the United States Department of Agriculture.

New method helping to find deletions and duplications in the human genome

A new machine-learning method accurately identifies regions of the human genome that have been duplicated or deleted — known as copy number variants — that are often associated with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. The new method, developed by researchers at Penn State, integrates data from several algorithms that attempt to identify copy number variants from exome-sequencing data — high-throughput DNA sequencing of only the protein-coding regions of the human genome.

PlantVillage gives undergraduate a chance to help feed the world via technology

Coming from the small town of Limeport, near Allentown, a young Annalyse Kehs may not have thought much about international agriculture or feeding the world. But thanks to a project called PlantVillage, the Penn State rising senior not only is helping to address world hunger but is relishing the opportunity to travel to destinations such as Kenya and Rome to interact with farmers, researchers and policymakers.

Some green ash trees show some resistance to emerald ash borers

Genes in green ash trees that may confer some resistance to attacks by the emerald ash borer express themselves only once the tree detects the invasive beetle's feeding, according to Penn State researchers.